10 Best & Worst Moments of the 2018 Golden Globes

BEST: Oprah

This was the best moment of the entire year so far. Oprah’s rousing and emotional speech was instantly iconic and dare I say, historic. Everyone adores Oprah, but this speech was so powerful. Oprah pulled from the past, recounted her present, and hoped for the future. The calls for a potential presidential run in 2020 are not completely unfounded, it could happen and it could be a success. Oprah’s sprawling and momentous career across film and television have inspired multiple generations of actors, producers, directors, radio hosts, and talk show hosts. The most amazing part of Oprah’s celebration was her acute awareness of her purpose and influence of being the first black woman to be awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

WORST: The Continued Snubbing of Black-ish

Black-ish is one of the greatest comedies in recent memories on network television. Every episode is both timely and timeless and tackles complicated issues with beautiful nuance and natural humor. The show has one won Golden Globe and hasn’t really gotten much love from the HFPA over the course of its four seasons. The show deserves so many more acting nominations and wins and the directing and writing are just fabulous.

BEST: Red Carpet

The black dress “protest” had its detractors, but what people failed to realize was: it did its job. Protests are meant to cause awareness. The attendees of the Globes shifted the conversation from “Who are you wearing” to “why are you wearing.” They integrated fashion and activism to the point where the conversation around sexual misconduct could not be ignored or pushed to the side. Some stars brought activists as their plus-ones. Emma Stone brought women and LGBTQ+ activist Billie Jean King, Michelle Williams brought Tarana Burke, the founder of the #MeToo movement, and Emma Watson brought Marai Larasi, the executive director of Imkaan, a network of British network organizations that fights violence against black and minority women. The protest was never presented as the magical solution to this egregious problem, so people shouldn’t act like it was.

WORST: Issa Rae’s Loss

The sheer disrespect served to Insecure is a whole other story, but Issa Rae deserved Best Comedy Actress hands down. Her performance in Insecure is so genuine and hilarious every episode. Hell, Tracee Ellis Ross didn’t even receive a nomination, let women of color win!

BEST: Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

This move is a force of nature, it’s a rapturous and timely story and it’s stunning 4 Globe wins are proof of its brilliance. Hopefully, this cements Three Billboards as the Oscar frontrunner for Best Picture. Please go see this film!

WORST: Dunkirk/CMBYN/Get Out/The Post

Dunkirk, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out and The Post all won absolutely nothing at the Globes. Every single one of these films told gripping stories and were gorgeous works of visual art. It was disappointing seeing them walk home empty-handed.

BEST: Seth Meyers

Meyers was a brilliant host. Every joke handed well and he handled the uncomfortable truths and dismantling of Hollywood head on. He was great.

WORST: Bianca Blanco / Barbara Meier

These two women were the only attendees not dressed in black (another attendee was also dressed in color, but for a cultural reason). These two women, the former an actress, and the latter a German model stuck out like diseased thumbs. This was a tacky and cheap tactic to draw attention to themselves on what couldn’t be a more inopportune night to do so.

BEST: Guillermo Del Toro

Guillermo has been gifting beautiful stories for years and years, I was elated to see him take this one home!

WORST: Black Women Win Nothing

Not a single black women won an award. Really, people. This sort of ridiculous outcome is a direct result of systemic discontinuity. Give black women proper roles, places on voting committees, and proper investment in their talent and we will see more black women bringing home the gold.